


sorry, i'm actually here for a date

by crescentchae



Series: a one shot for every twice ship!! [13]
Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, a bit of angst, but they're both whipped for each other, dahyun is awkward, momo is flirty, they're both insecure
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-25
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-16 04:54:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29695332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crescentchae/pseuds/crescentchae
Summary: dahyun gets convinced to go on a date that she reluctantly attends, where she's served by barista momo. when dahyun gets stood up and momo finds her crying in the bathroom, she resolves to take her out for a date herselfordahyun is shy, momo is shy around everyone who isn't dahyun, and they both have some insecurities to work through together
Relationships: Hirai Momo/Kim Dahyun
Series: a one shot for every twice ship!! [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1675549
Comments: 2
Kudos: 42





	sorry, i'm actually here for a date

Dahyun shouldered open the door to the cafe, glancing around the place before her eyes settled on an empty table somewhere near the middle of the seating area. Dahyun cocked her head, pondering whether that was a good choice for a first date. Was sitting near the window better, or would that just inevitably offer the chance for one of them to get distracted? Dahyun sighed, feeling the nerves she had been trying to ignore prick at her chest. 

_This_ is why Dahyun didn’t try to go on dates. Especially not a date she didn’t even _want_ to be on. 

The sound of someone clearing their throat knocked Dahyun from her reverie, and she realised with a fumbled apology and a bow that she had been blocking the door, which was met with nothing more than a grunt from the man behind her, as he slipped around her and wandered to a table with another man in a suit. Dahyun hurried forward, taking her place in the line and staring up at the menu. Dahyun hadn’t actually meant to stand in the line, because _surely_ she was meant for her date to arrive to order her drink, but the awkwardness of leaving the line without ordering anything left her rooted to the spot. 

As Dahyun scanned the display of pastries behind the counter, her face lit up at the slice of chocolate cake. Dahyun’s stomach panged in hunger, having skipped lunch just in case the date _somehow_ went well and they went out somewhere after the cafe. As she looked back up, she found that someone was already looking at her as she caught the eye of one of the baristas. 

Dahyun let her eyes flick down to the nametag, _Momo_ , before returning her gaze to her face. Momo smirked in response, and Dahyun realised that it must have appeared like Dahyun had been unsubtly ogling her. Dahyun blushed, smiling awkwardly and pulling her phone out of her pocket just to have something to do other than embarrass herself further. Dahyun shuffled along with the line, but kept her eyes glued to her phone, too ashamed to even contemplate looking up yet. 

That was until her eyes were drawn up as she heard someone clear their throat, wincing slightly as she met Momo’s lopsided smile and the glint in her eye. Dahyun felt flustered already, and she hadn’t even begun speaking. There was no need for the woman behind the counter to be _quite_ so attractive, nor was there a need for Momo to be smiling at her like she saw right through her. 

“How can I help you?” Momo’s voice was slightly raspy, and Dahyun cursed herself for finding her so attractive, but she figured she was only human. 

“Um.” All of the menu options Dahyun had been studying flew out of the window in the face of this interaction. She looked frantically back up to the beverage choices, a flush creeping up her neck as she tried to focus on anything but the way Momo’s grin grew, her giggle feeling like a taunt. 

A few beats of silence passed where Dahyun could almost feel the sweat beading at the back of her neck as she desperately grasped at any of the options, her mortification only doubling when she heard a low tutting sound from the person waiting behind her. 

Momo seemed to take pity on her, tilting her head in the way that someone might at a puppy who couldn’t figure out how to first go down a staircase. “How about a hot chocolate? Everyone likes hot chocolate, right?” 

Dahyun felt her shoulders sag slightly at the suggestion. A hot chocolate sounded _perfect_ right about now to soothe the nerves thrumming through her. She forgot to contain her relieved sigh, and it made Momo giggle again. “Yes, that would be great.” 

Momo hummed, clicking something into the monitor in front of her before returning her intense gaze back to Dahyun. “What size would you like?” 

“Large, please.” Now, _that_ was a question Dahyun could answer without hesitation, never the one to turn down the opportunity for more chocolate. 

Momo tapped the screen again before reaching up to readjust her bangs. Dahyun’s eyes followed the movement, transfixed slightly at just how pretty this girl was. Momo cleared her throat and Dahyun had no choice but to tear her gaze away, laughing nervously under her breath. 

“So, what’s your name?” Momo asked casually, the slight glint in her eyes that had yet to leave not failing to render Dahyun’s brain slightly mushy. 

Dahyun felt herself begin to scramble again at the question. She must have given Momo the wrong impression, she was here for a date - even if she was _dreading_ it - and here was Momo asking for her name even though she was working. Dahyun laughed awkwardly, the noise sounding strained even to her own ears, before rubbing the back of her neck. 

“Sorry, I’m actually here for a date.” 

Momo cocked an eyebrow, retrieving a cup from the side and waving it slightly in the air to emphasise it. “So that I can tell you when your drink is ready.” 

If Dahyun thought she had been blushing before, now her entire face was ablaze. She heard someone snort from behind her and had to physically restrain herself from slapping herself across the face. Momo had not been coming onto her, she was just doing her job. Somewhere amidst her mortification, Dahyun registered the feeling of disappointment that Momo wasn’t _actually_ attempting to pursue her. 

“Oh.” 

At that, Momo snorted and smiled at her in what might be the brightest grin that Dahyun had ever received. “Cute. Don’t worry about it.” 

As Dahyun stuttered out her name and hung her head as she shuffled towards the waiting area, she wanted the ground to swallow her up. This had _not_ been the confidence boost she had needed before her date arrived. Dahyun checked her phone and noted that she still had half an hour to gather her thoughts and attempt to recover her ego from the horror show that had been the past few minutes. 

Dahyun was a confusing mix of disappointed and relieved when it wasn’t Momo who called her name to alert her of her drink. 

  
.   
  


Dahyun desperately tried to stave off the tears as she glanced helplessly to the clock in the corner, her prayers left unanswered that if she only looked enough times at the damn thing then it could tell her a different truth. A truth where her date was not two hours late and was not ignoring any of her messages, a truth where she hadn’t fretted over this pointless date that she had been nudged countless times to go on, a truth where she hadn’t lost sleep over this _stupid_ day only to get stood up. 

Dahyun abruptly pushed her chair back, the sound of the metal scraping against the floor making her wince, a few of the tears escaping her eyes. She averted her gaze to the floor, staring at the floor as she haphazardly tried to jam the chair back under the table through her tears. She swiped her three empty mugs as best she could with one pair of hands, operating on autopilot to deposit them near the serving desk, before she spun back around to grab her bag from the floor and rushed to the bathroom. 

_What an idiot,_ Dahyun thought bitterly to herself as she swung the door open so aggressively that it nearly bounced back off the wall and thumped her. There was a reason she made no effort with love or dating, it was daunting, and at times she felt utterly undesirable, unlovable. The feeling had never been so pronounced as this moment right here, standing in the middle of a coffee shop that she had spent hours antagonising over choosing, _alone,_ staring at herself in the mirror as tears streamed down her face. 

She gripped the side of one of the sinks hard with both hands, willing herself to spare any shreds of her dignity. 

All coherent thoughts of that went out of the window when she glanced to watch the door in the mirror as she heard it creak open, Momo walking through with a wide smile on her face as she met Dahyun’s eyes in the mirror. 

Dahyun hastily wiped her eyes with her sleeve, turning her head slightly from Momo to try to shield the sight of her teary eyes, not sure if she could handle anymore embarrassment. 

“You came in here pretty fast, I guess you had a lot of hot chocolate, huh?” Momo’s voice was light, teasing, but it only served as a reminder of the drinks Dahyun had bought to nervously sip on as time had desperately slipped through her clutches. 

Dahyun hummed in response, knowing her voice would crack if she tried to force out any verbalisations, hesitantly returning her gaze to Momo for a brief moment.

Momo seemed unperturbed by her lack of answer, sauntering closer to Dahyun. She had to tear her gaze away from the playful, dare she say _flirtatious_ , smile on Momo’s face as she approached, her entire body tensing as she got closer to seeing the mess that Dahyun truly was. 

“Your hot chocolate obsession is really cute, honestly, you must be hopped up on sugar right now.” Dahyun stayed quiet as she shifted her weight slightly to turn her body from Momo, unsure how to escape this situation without looking pathetic, praying that Momo would simply take the hint and leave Dahyun to her moping. Unfortunately, Momo seemed incapable of taking hints. “Hey, are you alright?” 

Dahyun felt a small push as Momo pressed on her shoulder so that they faced each other. Any semblance of composure disintegrated the moment Momo touched her, her question unlocking another surge of tears because _no_ , Dahyun really was not alright. 

“Woah, hey, hey. It’s okay, it’s gonna be okay.” Momo soothed, awkwardly rubbing Dahyun’s shoulder with one hand and taking a half-step closer. Dahyun buried her head in her hands in response, shaking her head lifelessly, wanting anything but Momo seeing her like this, _anyone_ seeing her like this. She felt so guilty, crying in front of this poor stranger who had probably just come off from a ridiculously long and tiring shift, all because the reality of how pitiful she is was sinking in. 

“God.” Dahyun let out a wet and shaky laugh, burying her heads further into her palms and trying to compose herself. “I am so sorry, you should not have to be dealing with this and–” 

“Don’t be ridiculous.” The slightly hardened edge to Momo’s voice made Dahyun peek between her fingers to catch her eye. The fact that this stranger for some reason cared about her, Dahyun could see the truth of it in her eyes, was enough to draw a sob from Dahyun’s throat as she closed her fingers and continued hiding. “Oh, Dahyunie.” 

Whatever hesitation Momo had seemed to melt away in the face of Dahyun’s continued tears, her arms wrapping comfortingly around her shoulders and pulling Dahyun snugly into her chest. Dahyun pulled her hands away from her face, snaking them around Momo’s back to clutch desperately to the material of Momo’s barista uniform, holding onto her as if she were a lifeline. In the moment, Dahyun gave up caring how ridiculous she must look sobbing into the shoulder of a stranger, more than willingly accepting the kindness that Momo was offering, to sink into the soothing circles Momo was rubbing onto her back, to believe her words when she mumbled into her hair that she would be okay. 

Eventually, Dahyun ran out of tears, fear and shame gripping her as she realised that she could no longer hide in Momo’s firm embrace and she would have to surely offer some form of explanation. Dahyun swallowed hard and pulled back slightly, peeking up at Momo through the hair that had fallen in front of her eyes. Momo offered her a lopsided smile, using her finger to push some of the hair behind one of her ears. Dahyun waited for awkwardness to seep into the moment, but it never arrived, instead Momo booped Dahyun on the cheek and gasped so dramatically that it could have been comical. 

“Your cheek is so squishy!” Momo sounded genuinely fascinated, and it made Dahyun wince in both embarrassment and insecurity, never a fan of the chubbiness of her cheeks even as it had diminished as she grew older. “So cute, Dahyun-ah.” 

Dahyun laughed nervously, averting her eyes slightly. “Uh, I’m so sorry about that. I don’t know what came over me.” 

That was perhaps only half a lie, at least, she did know what came over her, the familiar desire for comfort that she was often too afraid to ask for, but then she didn’t recognise the desperation to seek comfort in the arms of a _stranger_. 

Oddly enough, it might be that Momo didn’t exactly _feel_ like a stranger, Dahyun felt more comfortable with her than she should. 

“You don’t need to apologise.” As Dahyun opened her mouth to refute it, perhaps to explain herself, Momo held up a finger and pressed it against Dahyun’s lips, effectively silencing her. “Ah-ah, I’m serious. You don’t even need to explain if you don’t want to.” 

Dahyun searched Momo’s eyes as she dropped her finger from Dahyun’s mouth, seeing only an earnest gaze staring back at her. The fact that Momo seemed so genuine propelled Dahyun forward to spill her thoughts before she could second-guess herself. “My friends kept telling me to live a little, that I should put myself out there more. And– I’m so insecure, but I tried and then I got stood up. I should just accept that this is all I deserve, I suppose.” 

Dahyun was rambling, she _knew_ she was rambling, and she was grateful for Momo’s interruption or else she wouldn’t have known when to stop. 

“ _What_? You got stood up? Who would stand _you_ up?” The look on Momo’s face was one of bewilderment, her tone pitching up slightly with zealousness. Honestly, the sight made Dahyun giggle a little, despite the dull pain throbbing in her chest, and she watched Momo perk up slightly at the sound of it. 

“I guess a lot of people.” Dahyun said flatly, deflating immediately at the implication of her words, all traces of her laughter dissipating. “Maybe it’s me.” 

Dahyun tried to shrug nonchalantly, but the words stung like a bitch, because they were what she asked herself at least once a day. 

Momo stared at her with an unreadable expression, her brow furrowed slightly, silence seeping into the moment. As Dahyun was beginning to fumble to break it before it became suffocating, Momo reached out and took Dahyun’s hand, tugging her along behind her as she exited the bathroom. 

“Uh, hey, where are we going?” Dahyun asked, glancing helplessly behind her at the refuge of the bathroom as the door swung back and forth. 

“On a date.” 

“ _What_?” Dahyun stopped abruptly, causing Momo to stumble back slightly and release Dahyun’s hand. She huffed, readjusting her barista top and looked to Dahyun with exasperation. 

“That person didn’t deserve you. We’re going on a date like you deserve.” Momo crossed her arms across her chest, tapping her foot impatiently on the floor. For a moment, Momo’s facade seemed to falter, a shy expression crossing her face as she smiled at Dahyun sheepishly with her head tilted like a puppy. “Um, if that’s okay, of course?” 

Dahyun glanced around the empty store, frowning at the chair she had been seated in for the past two hours slightly askew from how she had haphazardly flung it back into place. _Was_ it okay? Dahyun didn’t want to be a charity case, but Momo seemed so good and earnest about this that she wasn’t sure she could say no even if Momo _was_ doing this out of pity. Momo’s face lit up in a way that made Dahyun’s heart constrict slightly as she shyly nodded her consent, shuffling closer to Momo sheepishly. 

“Great! I just need to get changed and then we can go.” Momo reached out and clasped Dahyun’s shoulder, giving a firm squeeze and a cute nose scrunch before turning on her heel and bouncing towards what Dahyun presumed were the staff locker rooms. 

Dahyun stared out the window and hoped that this wouldn’t end in more heartbreak. 

  
.  
  


When Momo stepped back out onto the floor of the coffee shop, Dahyun felt herself go a bit weak in the knees. 

No-one had the right to look so pretty with a simple black crop top, some obscure brand on the front, and black jeans that were _that_ form-fitting. She didn’t mean to stare, but when Momo was standing in front of her with her abs _that_ clearly on display, Dahyun was struggling to avert her gaze to somewhere more subtle. Dahyun must have gotten lost in her thoughts, only snapping out of them when she heard someone clear their throat. She flushed horribly, the knowing smirk on Momo’s face too much to process along with the blood rushing to her head. 

Dahyun took a deep breath, not entirely sure that she would escape today with her sanity nor her dignity, willing her mind to stop buzzing with so many thoughts and nerves. Either Dahyun was obvious or Momo truly was that perceptive, but she placed a hand on the back of Dahyun’s neck in a gesture that should have felt too intimate for near-strangers, and it somehow helped calm Dahyun’s racing mind. 

“If you want to go home at any point, just let me know and I can walk you. Or order you a taxi, whatever you want.” Momo assured her, and Dahyun believed her, all doubts of Momo’s intentions faded into background noise. Dahyun tried to keep her eyes level as Momo slipped her arms into a red jacket, failing to entirely avoid how her biceps flexed slightly at the movement before they disappeared under the material. 

Dahyun gulped. “Okay.” 

Momo nodded to herself, winking at Dahyun. “Great, let’s go then.” 

Dahyun felt her hand being taken again, getting pulled along behind Momo with little resistance this time. 

Dahyun had figured that this would be awkward, the two of them knowing nothing about each other, yet Dahyun found that Momo was pleasant company. She was patient, and only a little teasing, at the stammering answers that Dahyun choked out, nodding encouragingly when Dahyun would willing provide extra information about herself. 

She found that Momo was the perfect date, holding open doors, guiding Dahyun by a hand at the small of her back, reaching to take her hand at random moments and once or twice intertwining their fingers loosely and swinging their hands between their bodies as they walked. 

Dahyun found herself forgetting the circumstances that had led them to this date, merely enjoying the small talk and the barely-there touches. She was surprised to find that Momo often left the silence between them unfilled, and Dahyun found it was unnecessary to break it considering how comfortable it was between them when she wasn’t obsessing over its presence. 

So, now, as they walked along a pretty pond with the sun falling lower in the sky, the only sound between them was the chirping of birds, the sound of a creek and Momo’s low humming. 

Whilst Dahyun was often content in her own silence, not feeling the need to always be speaking, she found herself interrupting the quiet moments between them this time, not out of obligation, but instead to try to quell her growing fascination with the woman besides her. In fact, she found that so long as Momo didn’t step too close, didn’t utter words that were too flirtatious and she didn’t focus on the fact that Momo was insanely attractive, painfully pretty _and_ beautiful all at the same time, she was perfectly capable of functioning like a non-awkward human. 

“I love the ducks.” Dahyun commented, watching how they bobbed their heads under the water and swam around each other entirely at peace. It brought an unwilling smile to Dahyun’s face, bending down to stretch out her hand slowly towards the closest duck, her grin only widening when it swam closer to her. It stayed just out of her reach, but Dahyun was grateful for the implicit trust nonetheless. 

Momo hummed noncommittally, sounding as if she were scarcely paying attention. Dahyun turned her head from the duck, perhaps to try her luck at teasing Momo for her lack of attention, when the words died on the tip of her tongue at the gentle smile that greeted her on Momo’s face. It was small and soft, Dahyun didn’t want to call it _fond,_ because that wouldn’t make any sense considering they meant nothing to each other, but somehow even thinking that felt like a lie. 

Momo’s smile morphed into a cute pucker of her lips, the same face she had pulled every time she got close enough to Dahyun, just to tease her. Close enough that if Momo had leant forward an inch or so more, she’d be grazing her lips across the skin of Dahyun’s neck or her cheek. The pout was dorky and painfully endearing, and it made Dahyun smile so wide that she almost couldn’t see Momo’s form standing to the side and looking down at her anymore. 

Dahyun wasn’t a believer in love at first sight, or at least not for herself, her deep-rooted insecurities never allowing her to believe the ignorance of her own romanticisation of the world. Yet, Dahyun felt drawn to Momo in a way that she hadn’t experienced before. There was something inexplicably soft and protective in Momo’s eyes, and she smiled at Dahyun like she truly savoured her company. Part of her had to wonder if Momo had this effect on everyone, and once the thought had greeted her, she felt herself deflate and the smile began dropping from her face. 

There was no way that this was special, Momo simply had to be this good to everyone, doting on everyone with affection and warmth, because that seemed to be who Momo was at her core. It was naive to hope that she was special, that Momo was anything but friendly and open to anyone who needed it. Dahyun had tried to shelter herself from people for so long, and in the space of only a few hours it felt as though Momo had infiltrated her walls and was considering building a home there. But, in reality, Dahyun thinks she had ushered Momo in, that Dahyun was placing the responsibility on Momo when _she_ was the one who was allowing herself to drown in blind optimism. 

Momo must have noticed the switch in her mood, the dampening of all her features and the way she couldn’t look her in the eyes, even though she had been steadily improving her ability to look Momo head on without floundering, taking a slight step towards Dahyun. Dahyun felt her heart constrict as Momo reached out a hand, perhaps to place it on her shoulder, but she didn’t give her the chance to make full contact. Momo’s fingertips had only begun to graze the material of her top before she was standing to her full height. 

Dahyun realised her mistake when she was far too close to Momo, the smell of the woman’s perfume invading her nostrils almost immediately, and leaving Dahyun helpless to do anything but trace her eyes over the slope of Momo’s nose and up to the question held in her eyes. The sight of the concerned eyes staring back at her pricked at the back of Dahyun’s throat, wincing slightly as she took a hurried step back, missing the flash of hurt that crossed Momo’s face in her haste to focus her attention anywhere else. She gazed up at the sky, making a show of clearing her throat and checking her phone for the time. 

“It’s getting a bit late. I should be getting home.” Dahyun knew it was flimsy at best, she had already told Momo she had nothing planned for after her date, and it was hardly beginning to get _too_ dark. She felt the awkwardness begin to seep into the exchange as Momo didn’t respond, but Dahyun couldn’t bring herself to look at the woman in front of her, too afraid of what she might see. Exactly what she was afraid to see was a question Dahyun could not entertain in that moment. What was she most afraid of seeing on Momo’s face? Relief? Annoyance? Or, perhaps, disappointment was what she was truly afraid to see.

Dahyun could not determine whether it was scarier to be nothing to Momo, or to be wanted by her. 

For now, she powered on before the awkwardness could turn suffocating, a glimmer of metaphorical light shining when she remembered that Momo had mentioned they had already passed nearby her apartment a mile or so back. “I’ll walk you home. You’ve already done enough.” 

The silence was stifling, Dahyun unable to do anything but shift her weight slightly to the other foot and pray that Momo said something soon. She could feel Momo’s gaze on her, undoubtedly trying to size her up, maybe even work out what could possibly be running through Dahyun’s mind. 

As if Dahyun herself had any answer to those questions.

“Okay.” Momo’s voice was quiet, the quietest Dahyun had heard it today, and Dahyun thought it sounded resigned, but it was devastatingly blank and difficult to read. It took a moment for Dahyun to process that Momo had agreed. Dahyun could not hope to entangle the disappointment that blossomed in her chest that Momo hadn’t even put up a fight. It was exactly what Dahyun should have seen coming, it was something that she herself had caused, yet it still hurt a ridiculous amount. 

Dahyun nodded silently, turning to begin walking without facing whatever look would be staining Momo’s features. 

Dahyun was truly destined to let her insecurities run her into the ground. 

.

The walk home was terse at best, and horrifically awkward at worst. It was made more painful by the fact that Dahyun could see out of the corner of her eye the worried glances that Momo kept shooting her: the way that she would begin to raise her hand to point at something, only to remember that Dahyun had no interest in what she had to say, the way that if Momo wasn’t staring at her that she had her gaze glued to the ground, and yet still found herself occasionally stumbling.

Dahyun wanted to cry, because Momo was so on edge that the mostly confident woman Dahyun had been accustomed to had shrunk down into a skittish figure who was tripping over her own feet. She wanted to scream that she cared about everything Momo had to say, that Momo could take her hand if that was what she wanted, that Dahyun was glad she had been stood up because it meant she got to spend the day with this wonderful woman besides her, but how could she? When all she had done was push Momo away to shelter her own fragile heart, with no explanation or consideration for Momo’s feelings? 

She hardly recognised herself, the guilt hitting her in waves that crashed against the shore and made the tears harder to stifle with every passing step. The walk was only ten minutes, but it felt like an eternity, and yet Dahyun still couldn't help the disappointment that bubbled in her chest when she realised that Momo had stopped walking. Dahyun spun slowly on her heel, staring up at the block of apartments in lieu of looking at Momo. She vaguely recognised them, unsure if that was because of the dimness of the street or her mind forcing herself to focus on anything but the fact that now was the time to say goodbye, and it was all Dahyun’s fault. 

“Did I do something wrong?” Dahyun jerked her head back to Momo, startled by the abrupt outburst that was louder than Dahyun had heard Momo. “Did I make you uncomfortable? Was it all of the closeness and flirting? I’m so sorry. I-I thought you liked it, but I should have asked. You could have just told me, and I would have stopped straight away. Well, not that it’s _your_ fault, of course, that’s totally on me. I’m sorry, I’m not very good at any of this, this isn’t like me at all and I was way too forward, and I don’t know why I did that but–” 

“Momo!” Dahyun interrupted, breaking herself out of the stunned silence that had come since Momo’s rambling began, because she could _not_ bear to hear another word of the self-doubt that _she_ had caused. “You didn’t do anything wrong, I-I promise.” 

Dahyun knew she was setting herself for the question she desperately did not want to answer, and yet it didn’t make it any easier when it arrived. “Then why?” 

Dahyun considered playing dumb to buy herself some more time to come up with an answer that was anything but the pathetic truth, but it was painfully obvious what Momo was asking, and regardless of what the current situation might suggest, Dahyun did not like to make a habit of running from her problems. 

Dahyun sighed, waving a hand carelessly in the air as if to stimulate her brain to come up with something that could articulate how deep-rooted this all was without completely oversharing and burdening Momo more than she already had. 

“Insecurities?” It came out more as a question than anything else, and was said so quietly that Dahyun wouldn't have been surprised if Momo had asked her to repeat herself, considering she didn’t expect Momo to really understand what she meant by that. It was only one tentative word uttered, after all. The reality of the situation was Momo is a stranger who knew very little about Dahyun, no matter how much Momo feels like anything _but_ a stranger. 

Momo was quiet again, falling silent in that calculating and observational way that Dahyun had not yet worked out if it was intentional or something Momo did entirely subconsciously whilst she was thinking hard about something. A day was not enough time for Dahyun to fully adjust to being scrutinised so intensely, especially not by someone as physically attractive as Momo.

(Dahyun could swear her attention was always slightly on the abs on display front of her, no matter how desperately she willed herself to stop ogling her). 

The lack of words passing between them was too much for Dahyun, already much too on edge to give Momo the time to consider her like this, so she spoke again. “I’m really sorry for ruining our date.” 

A soft sigh came from Momo, her head turning up to look at the almost entirely darkened sky. Another moment of silence followed until, “Do you want to come up and watch a movie?” 

Dahyun thought she was staring at Momo like she had grown a second head, her jaw working as fast as her thoughts to decide whether she _did_ want that, and also _why_ Momo was still being so forthcoming with her. 

It was enough to trigger the rare shyness that shone through occasionally, Momo ducking her head and mumbling, “I mean– Unless you don’t want to, which is totally okay. But I would just like to spend more time... with you.”

Momo’s head seemed to droop even further at that confession, and Dahyun was grateful for the secrecy it offered for her burning cheeks, the tips of her ears undoubtedly turning red under the implications of the compliment. As embarrassed as Dahyun was at the confession, she was also thrilled because it meant that Momo _did_ want to spend time with her, regardless of whatever… _that_ outburst was. 

“I’d love to.” Dahyun realised how overeager that sounded, her voice far too loud, loud enough that Momo’s head shot back up to meet Dahyun’s eyes. The reddening of her cheeks most definitely worsened, judging by the soft smile that had returned to Momo’s lips, as Dahyun scrambled to amend herself. “I mean– That would be wonderful. Uh, nice! It would be nice.” 

“Wonderfully nice, huh?” Momo teased, taking a step closer to Dahyun, before stopping in her tracks. The light in her eyes was back, but Dahyun could see how awkwardly she was standing, and Dahyun knew she had made Momo overthink every move, the guilt practically a permanent resident in her chest by now. 

Dahyun took a deep breath, steadying her nerves and willing herself to take some agency to show Momo she wanted this too, forcing her legs into motion so that she could take a step closer and lessen the gap between them. It was worth it to see how Momo’s face entirely perked up, a hand coming up slowly to Dahyun’s face, as if giving her the opportunity to pull away. Dahyun tilted her head into the gentle caresses of Momo’s fingers against her cheek, watching how Momo grinned from ear to ear as she pinched the apple of her cheek, giggling quietly. 

“Let’s go up then. I’m not sure if my best friend will be home, but if she is, I’m sorry in advance.” Momo said lightly, the hand tracing Dahyun’s skin dropping to loosely take hold of Dahyun’s wrist and tugging her along as she walked towards the entrance to the building. 

“Is this the Sana you told me about? She sounded nice.” Dahyun asked curiously, feeling slightly anxious at the prospect of meeting Momo’s best friend so soon. 

“Oh, she’s _lovely_ and I love her, but she’s very full on. I don’t want her to scare you away.” Momo glanced over her shoulder back at Dahyun, her grip tightening slightly around Dahyun’s wrist seemingly unconsciously. She caught the look of trepidation on Momo’s face, hastening to remove it. 

“She won’t! I promise I won’t run and hide.” The unspoken _again_ was left hanging between them for a moment and, to Dahyun’s relief, Momo relaxed at the words before nodding her head. 

Dahyun refused to run again, not unless Momo told her she didn’t want her. 

Now, she could only hope for that to never happen. 

.

Sana, as it turns out, was home. 

“Momoring! Where were you? You didn’t text to say you were getting back late.” The brunette in front of Dahyun pouted, before drawing her attention to Dahyun with a friendly smile. “Oh, and who’s this?” 

Momo snorted. “What are you, my mother? I’m not _that_ late home.” Momo dropped her bag on the floor by the door and removed her shoes, gesturing for Dahyun to do the same. “This is Dahyun, she’s my–” 

Momo abruptly cut herself off, Dahyun’s eyes flickering over to her as she used her toes to push down the back of each of her shoes. There was an honest to God _blush_ painting Momo’s cheeks, and Dahyun soon realised why. 

“She’s your…?” Sana elongated the words with a questioning tone, looping an arm around Momo’s shoulders just as Momo looked to take a step away from her. “Momo-ya.” 

“My… date.” Momo struggled the words out, flushing even more at the squeal that left Sana’s throat and the way she pushed Momo away only to slap at her shoulder. 

“ _Date?_ Why didn’t you tell me you had a date?” Dahyun herself felt embarrassed and a bit awkward, but the look of mortification on Momo’s face and the blush still staining her cheeks was honestly too endearing for Dahyun to even consider trying to mediate the situation. 

Momo seemed… _different_ around Sana. The moments of shyness that had shone through with Dahyun seemed wholly present now, as if Momo’s walls had entirely come down with Sana around. Dahyun wondered if the confidence Momo had shown earlier was all bravado, or whether she had done it for Dahyun’s sake, or even whether it was merely a different side to Momo. Dahyun didn’t have the time to tease apart the likelihoods and implications of each of the options, not when she was missing parts of the conversation unfolding before her. 

“It just sort of… happened. I just asked her, Sana.” Momo was back in Sana’s arms now, trying fruitlessly to wrench herself from the grip. She was looking anywhere but Dahyun. 

“You? _You_ asked a girl out? My shy little Momoring, who always stands behind me when we meet anyone new?” Sana’s voice was sickly sweet, pinching Momo’s cheeks and making her huff. 

Momo eventually squirmed from Sana’s grasp, pushing her back by her shoulders and running a hand through her hair to fix the mess that had been caused during the commotion. Dahyun swallowed at how beautiful she looked with the red still lingering on her cheeks and her black hair falling perfectly to frame her face. 

“Shut up, Sana. Don’t you have _anything_ else to do?” Momo whined, her voice petulant and slightly exasperated. Dahyun recognised the whine and was already endeared to it from when it had been directed to her when she was failing to give Momo what she deemed adequate attention. It had always made Dahyun let out a flustered and embarrassed laugh, but Sana merely giggled brightly and tried to tickle Momo’s sides until she sprung away. 

“Okay, okay. Message received, I’ll go to Nayeon’s or something. I could do with the walk, I suppose.” Sana pulled her jacket on and wandered closer to Momo, raising an expectant brow. Momo huffed at the sight of it, reluctantly moving her head forward slightly. Sana met her halfway with a brief kiss to the cheek. “Good luck, Casanova.” 

“Shut up, Sana.” Momo repeated flatly, swiping the back of her hand across where Sana had kissed her and scowling at the appendage afterwards in disgust. 

Sana turned to fully face Dahyun, waving cheerfully and smiling at Dahyun in a way that somehow made her feel both warm and unsettled. “It was nice to meet you! I’m hoping we’ll see more of each other. Well done for making this one come out of her shell, it’s hard to get her to do that, so you must be special.” 

Dahyun didn’t think Sana had an ingenuine bone in her body, not from what she had seen and heard about her, so the force of the words hit her in the chest. _Special._ Was it truly only Dahyun that Momo would act like this around? 

As Dahyun waved her hand on autopilot and mumbled a soft goodbye, thoughts raced around her mind and the hope sparked brighter in her chest. 

.

It took Momo around half an hour to be able to fully look Dahyun in the eye again, immediately skirting off to get changed after the door closed behind Sana, before profusely apologising for forgetting to ask Dahyun if she wanted a drink upon her return. 

Seeing Momo so consistently flustered was still jarring, so different from the flirty and teasing woman Dahyun had been faced with for most of the day. Watching Momo spill the glass of water in her attempts to get it to Dahyun faster, dampening the front of Dahyun’s hoodie and only flustering Momo further when she tried to dab it dry using a towel, made Dahyun’s heart constrict in remorse and fondness. 

Momo was trying so _hard_ and it was painfully endearing, so _lovely_ to be wanted and cared for as much as Momo was doing for her now. Knowing that Momo wasn’t this forward with everyone, even if Dahyun didn’t understand why it was different with her, gave Dahyun the confidence to try to repay Momo back, even slightly. 

“It’s okay, unnie. I got this!” Dahyun said brightly, taking the towel from Momo’s grasp and smiling at her widely when Momo sheepishly raised her gaze to Dahyun’s own. “I don’t really watch many movies, so you’re free to pick anything and I’m sure I’ll love it.” 

“O-Okay.” Momo was still stuttering her words slightly, but she offered Dahyun a half-smile as she meandered over to the sofa and pulled a pink blanket from the arm of the chair. Dahyun stood for a few moments, silently wiping the water from her hoodie to give Momo a moment to calm herself and load up Netflix on the television. Dahyun huffed, realising that there was too much water soaking the garment to sit and watch a movie with it on. She glanced around the room, noticing the hoodie strung carelessly across a kitchen counter. 

Dahyun picked it up before calling out to Momo. “Unnie, is it okay if I wear this hoodie? Mine is still a bit damp.” 

As Momo glanced over her shoulder, she looked torn, probably between apologising again for her clumsiness and remembering Dahyun’s multiple assurances that it was okay. “Of course. It’s my favourite. Could you also bring as many snacks as you can carry? The cupboard directly to the right of the fridge.” 

Dahyun smiled at Momo again in gratitude, holding up an ‘okay’ sign to acknowledge the request, and her heart warming as Momo grinned back before quickly returning her gaze back to the screen in front of her. 

Dahyun quickly pulled off the sodden garment and hastened to pull Momo’s over her head, immediately hit with the familiarity of Momo’s perfume. The material was worn slightly, clearly from the stress of frequent use, and that knowledge made Dahyun feel a bit tingling in happiness; that she was wearing something that belonged to Momo. Dahyun smiled fondly to herself as she folded her own hoodie neatly, placing it on the counter. 

Dahyun knew she was a romantic sap at heart. 

Sighing to herself, she rifled sheepishly through the cupboard, feeling a bit lost at the domesticity of it. She went on her tiptoes to scoop up the different bags of snacks, not even sparing a glance at what exact contents the packages held. She wandered around to the front of the sofa with the snacks in her arms, not sparing a glance at the television considering she was perfectly content with any choice. 

However, what she did give multiple thoughts to was where she should sit. The sofa was designed for three people but could easily fit four without too much struggling. Dahyun could easily sit on the other side and not touch Momo or give either of them any more chances to get flustered. But surely that was _too_ distant? Dahyun was still trying to silently persuade Momo that she wanted to be here with her, that she didn’t have any desire to leave so long as Momo wanted her here too. Or perhaps she should sit in the seat besides Momo but leave enough space between their bodies that they still wouldn’t touch. Or should she make sure they were touching, thinking back to how much Momo seemed to like physical contact?

At least, she seemed to like contact with _her,_ she amended as she thought back to Momo’s interactions with Sana, which were still too confusing for Dahyun to process yet.

If the roles were reversed, and Dahyun hadn’t set Momo on edge, she had no doubt that Momo would have deposited herself straight in her lap and been content to nestle down there. Yet, Dahyun _did_ set Momo on edge, and the roles were, in fact, not reversed. Thus, Dahyun was still standing uneasily in the middle of the room and pondering something that did not need to feel quite this monumental. 

Thankfully, Momo had her eyes glued to the screen, seemingly scrutinising all the options in front of her. “Dahyun-ah.” 

Dahyun jumped minutely at the sound of her voice, not expecting her to break the silence. “Yeah?” 

“Come here.” Momo patted the space directly next to her, turning her head from the screen in front of her to pout at Dahyun when she seemed to hesitate to join her. “Dahyunie.” 

The lilting whine to her tone was such a relief that Dahyun could have wept, it was comfortable and imploring, just as it had been throughout their date. It was enough to make Dahyun’s legs move, depositing herself down next to Momo and trying not to wince when she realised she had likely sat too close to her, the entirety of her side pressed against Momo’s. She clumsily dropped the snacks into their laps, and Momo hummed in approval before mumbling a quiet _thank you_ under her breath, clearly deep in thought still. 

It seemed Momo _had_ been paying attention to Dahyun, even if her focus seemed to be entirely on the screen.

The thought made Dahyun’s heart race.

Before Dahyun could think to apologise or hurriedly shift away, Momo’s hand that wasn’t gripping the television remote came to land comfortably on Dahyun’s thigh, the warmth of her hand emanating through the material of her jeans. 

“This one okay?” Momo asked, looking over to Dahyun with a confident brow raised in question. 

The switch in Momo’s confidence threatened to give Dahyun a headache, but she was grateful for it, nonetheless. 

Dahyun answered on autopilot, not moving her gaze from Momo’s. “Yeah, it’s good.” 

Momo smirked slightly, tilting her head. “You didn’t even look at the screen.” 

Dahyun blushed at being caught. Truthfully, she could not care less what film was on in front of them, she had merely wanted to spend more time in Momo’s company. As Momo giggled to herself, poking Dahyun on the nose to startle her out of her thoughts, she realised she must have uttered her thoughts aloud, groaning internally at the epiphany. 

“You’re cute. Alright then, let’s start!” Momo amended, clicking play and placing the remote on the arm rest besides her. 

The warmth of Momo’s hand on Dahyun’s thigh left as she ripped open a bag of sweets, but Dahyun found she couldn’t complain as Momo brought a sweet up to Dahyun’s lips and pressed lightly. Dahyun opened her mouth dumbly, trying not to choke as her lips accidentally grazed Momo’s fingertips as she took the sweet. Momo seemed entirely unfazed, using the same fingers to pluck another sweet from the bag and put it into her mouth. 

Dahyun was struck in that moment how _good_ Momo was.

Whilst she did not understand _exactly_ what Sana had meant earlier about how Dahyun had brought confidence out of Momo, it was evident that it was not a lie considering how skittish Momo had been after the encounter with Sana and what had transpired between herself and Momo prior to that. Yet, the moment that Dahyun had been indecisive and unsure standing over the sofa, Momo had read her without even sparing so much of a glance, the confidence of before ebbing from her in waves now. 

The way that they were bouncing off each other, taking it in turns to nurture the others’ shyness and insecurities when the other one faltered was making Dahyun completely unable to focus on what was transpiring in the movie in front of her eyes. Dahyun couldn’t claim to quite understand it, and perhaps it was too melodramatic, but being around Momo felt positively momentous. She could not help but wonder if it had been some sort of divine intervention that had meant Dahyun had been stood up, that it happened to occur when Momo was on her shift, that for some reason Momo had been able to push through her apparently deep-rooted shyness to simultaneously take Dahyun’s mind off everything and fluster her to no end. 

After long minutes of thinking, wondering exactly what was happening between them and why everything felt like this, pondering exactly why Momo was so good, so good to _her,_ made Dahyun’s mouth began to move faster than her brain. 

“What did Sana mean?” Dahyun asked, blinking in surprise that the words had physically left her mouth. Nervously, she glanced to where Momo was halfway through shoving sweets in her mouth, eyes wide like a deer caught in headlights. Dahyun wanted to slap her forehead in her lack of tact, sure she was going to push Momo back into the reserved and restless state she had only just come out of. 

Instead, Momo surprised her. She sighed, reaching to grab the remote and pause the film, sweeping the bags of sweets into her arms from her lap and placing them carelessly on the coffee table in front of them. She leant back, angling her body slightly towards Dahyun, making her gulp at the brushing of Momo’s knee against her thigh. 

“We should probably talk, huh?” Momo asked cheerily, bumping Dahyun’s leg more firmly with her knee. Yet the way that Momo was looking slightly above Dahyun’s gaze informed her that Momo was nervous about this too. 

Dahyun nodded, not entirely trusting her voice. 

Instead of answering her question, Momo returned it with her own. “Why did you freak out on me earlier?” 

Dahyun swallowed, scratching the back of her head nervously as she tried to piece together what she wanted to say. “I let my insecurities get the better of me, I guess.” 

Momo frowned, lessening the nerves thrumming through Dahyun’s veins when she took Dahyun’s hand from her lap, whilst also igniting something else fiery in her blood. “How come? You’re great.” 

Dahyun laughed slightly, but it sounded hollow even to her own ears. “I guess I’m just careful with my heart. I don’t like to let people know too much or get too close unless I can trust them, I think I’ve always been like that. I feel things more deeply than people think, and I don’t want to get hurt. I think getting stood up today brought it all to the surface. Normally I can fake it until I make it.” 

Momo nodded solemnly, the eyes that earlier wouldn’t meet Dahyun’s gaze now showing no signs of moving, providing her undivided attention. “But then what changed? It seemed like it was going fine, but then you completely shut me out.” 

Dahyun winced slightly, because despite Momo not intending it as an accusation, it still stung like one. “I got stuck in my thoughts. I realised that maybe you were doing this all out of kindness, and you would do this for anyone, and I wasn’t special.” 

Momo snorted, Dahyun’s eyebrows shooting up to her hairline and head recoiling slightly at the unexpected noise. “God, no, Dahyun. None of that is true at all.” 

“Then, what Sana said is true?” 

Momo nodded, squeezing Dahyun’s hand softly before pulling her hand away to hover her fingertips above the pads of Dahyun’s fingers. “I’ve never been that confident in front of someone I didn’t know, like, ever.” 

Dahyun swallowed, finally asking the question that had been taunting her this entire time. “Why me?” 

Momo paused, linking their fingers again and squeezing firmly. “I don’t know how to explain it. I just– You’re so cute. I can tell that you’re precious, just from the way you hold yourself. You looked so shy and nervous that it made me want to protect you, but also tease you a little. You’re fun to tease, and you make it too easy.” 

Dahyun laughed slightly, focusing on the latter part to avoid blushing too much at the first half. “I noticed.” 

Momo smiled in return, before her face sobered. “I feel like you’ve already brought out sides to me that can take me time to show to people. I feel comfortable around you, I wasn’t doubting myself.” 

Dahyun took a deep breath. “I feel the same. I usually try to be happy and bright, because that’s who I am. But that’s only half of me. It’s like people expect me to always be like that, without even meaning to. But I’m also shy and a bit awkward sometimes. You brought that side out of me because I feel comfortable around you too.” 

Dahyun wasn’t sure they should be confessing this seriously after not even a full day of knowing each other, but Momo was not hesitating and it gave Dahyun the confidence to trust in her and return her boldness. 

A bright grin lit up Momo’s face, and before Dahyun knew what was happening, she felt Momo’s hands gently gripping her waist and dragging her into her lap. Dahyun was half-expecting Momo to kiss her, but she merely wrapped her arms entirely around her midsection and nuzzled into her neck. The brush of her nose against Dahyun’s neck made her squirm slightly, giggling awkwardly at the sudden attention, unsure what to do with her hands. 

Momo pulled back to look at Dahyun, laughing at whatever face Dahyun was making, leaning forward to kiss Dahyun’s cheek softly. Dahyun felt her breath catch, unable to regain her composure as Momo traced her fingers across her cheek where she had planted her lips. “So _cute,_ Dahyunie. Your skin is so soft.” 

“Ah, th-thank you, unnie.” Dahyun stuttered over the words, her cheek burning where Momo was touching her, acutely aware of how the hand on her waist also felt like it was on fire. 

Part of Dahyun was disappointed that Momo hadn’t kissed her, but she knew that they had time. She felt nothing but certainty that her and Momo were on the same wavelength as she settled into her lap and scooped up the remote to continue playing the film. She felt the anxiety leave her body, all the negativity she had been clinging on to, and savoured the feeling of Momo’s endless warmth and affection. 

If the kisses Momo would dot across her face and neck, and how she traced her fingertips across Dahyun’s bare skin under her hoodie _(Momo’s_ hoodie) at every opportunity, still flustered her, then that was for no-one else to know except her. 

(And Momo, because Dahyun had a feeling Momo would always know). 

“Do you want to stay for longer?” Momo asked quietly into the side of Dahyun’s neck, her whisper sending shivers down Dahyun’s spine, breaking the comfortable monotony of the past few minutes. 

Dahyun could think of nothing she wanted more. 

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> i've been so bad at writing recently and i don't know how confident i am about this one, sometimes i think it's okay and other times i think it's meh,,, 
> 
> i hope you enjoyed either way!! i hope dahmo are written more as the main ship of fics because i feel like i hardly see that at the moment :( 
> 
> if you liked it then, of course, comments appreciated!! i'm like 3.5k through a sanayeon secret dating au but i have No Idea when that'll be finished 
> 
> stay safe until then :]


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